Magraths on Tour: October 2013

October 4^th

Today, we caught the plane, from Los Angeles, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. We woke up early, at six so we could get to the airport early for our flight at ten-thirty. Getting ready was very quick, because we already packed the majority of our stuff the night before, so we were all ready to take off straight away. We had breakfast in, and after that, we packed all of our belongings in the car, and we were all ready, and raring to go. It took around thirty minutes to drive to the car rental place to drop of our rental car, and then we caught a bus from the rental place all the way to LAX. (The Los Angeles Airport.) After around thirty minutes, Mum, and Abbey arrived from Anaheim in a shuttle. We got through security and immigration, and after that we waited for our plane after that for about an hour and a bit. Eventually, we heard the call for our plane and we boarded. We settled into our relatively cramped seats. We took off in a relatively short amount time of time. After the initial take off, the plane trip went pretty quickly for myself. I finished off my Literacy homework (YAY!), and I read for the rest of the time. After just five hours of doing this, we arrived at Honolulu Airport. We came off the plane to find a very nice, and clean airport, and we exited the airport, and caught the bus to the car rental place. The second we stepped off the bus, we were hit by an intense wave of heat. We waited for a while for our rental car, in the heat of the day. After a while, we were finally able to get in the car. We drove on the highway to the other side of the island where we were staying at a beach house. We arrived in around thirty minutes, and we had a swim in the pool to cool ourselves off. After that, we had a nice relaxing evening.

October 3^rd

Today, we went to Universal Studios, Hollywood. We woke up at seven to get ready to go to Universal. We got dressed, and went down to the Café to have breakfast. (There was no kitchen in the Motel rooms, so we had to make our own arrangements.) After a very large, American Styled, breakfast, we were ready to go to Universal Studios. It took around thirty minutes or so, to drive to Hollywood, where Universal Studios were located. We looked around Universal City Walk, (Sort of like Downtown Disney, except with Universal Studios) because Universal Studios wasn’t open yet. After seeing all the shops there, we could enter the theme park. Universal Studios was very, very well made, like Disney Land, and was also spotless, like Disney Land. We did a lot of rides like the Simpsons Virtual Rollercoaster, The 3D Transformer’s ride, Reveng of th Mummy The Ride, Jurrasic Park, The Studio Tour, and also three shows, Water World, Shrek 4D, and Special Effects Stage. The Studio Tour took us around through all the filming sets, and hangard where they stored props and all that. And they also showed many examples of films set in thes sets also. After we had finished all the things you could do there, we went around to all the famous parts of Hollywood. First off, we saw the huge Hollywood sine, looking over the valley known as Hollywood. After that, we went to the Hollywood walk of stars, where the pavement showed many stars, with famous actors, and movie stars being honoured. After this, we saw the two very famous streets called, Sunset Boulevard, and Rodeo Street. We saw many mansions in both roads. After that, we drove back to Santa Monica, where we went around the downtown area, and we looked at all the stores. After about an hour or two doing this, we went back to the motel.

October 2^nd

Today, we had drove from the mountains of California, to Anaheim, and then onto Santa Monica. We woke up at seven thirty, got dressed, got packed, (in a very hasty fashion. After that we had a very tasteful breakfast, and after that, we were all set to go, down to Anaheim. We all packed ourselves in our monstrosity of a car, and got ready to go down the humongous mountains. We took a few stops on the way, but in between those few brief stops, I mostly read and looked out the window at the beautiful, mountain landscape, with orange farms a the base of the mountains, or looking at the strange desert that we drove by. Due to easy traffic, we arrived at Anaheim to drop Mum, and Abbey off, for an extra day at Disney Land. But before we went in the hours drive to Santa Monica. We venture down to Downtown Disney to have Dinner. We had dinner, right away at the amazing ESPN Sports Zone, a sports restaurant, featuring televisions in every place possible showing sports from NFL, to baseball. Televisions were also found in the restrooms. The food itself was reasonable, and filling. After about thirty minutes or so, of sitting down to have dinner at the ESPN sports zone, we looked at the amazing stores surrounding it. We went to a massive Lego store, featuring every piece of Lego you could dream of. There was even a whole wall dedicated to replace missing pieces from Lego Structures. After seeing this amazing spectacle, we went to a few surf shops, (because of Elliott’s love to anything to do with surfing. After a few looks at the store, we returned to Mum, and Abbey’s hotel to say goodbye. After saying goodbye, we spent the rest of the night driving to Santa Monica. Once we arrived, we checked into our Motel, and went to bed.

October 1^st

Today, was also like yesterday, seeing the world’s largest trees, and relaxing around the lodge. We woke up at seven-thirty, to get downstairs to have breakfast. After breakfast we went out in our car to go see the largest tree in the world, The General Sherman Tree! Unfortunately, all Federal Government services were shut down (like National Parks), due to a complication in politics, and we couldn’t enter the National Park, so we stayed in the National Forest (which is a state run service), and saw the Sequoia Grove again. This time, we went on an amazing walk, between the gigantic Sequoias! This walk was apparently one of the only places where you could touch Sequoia Trees, rather than seeing them fenced off. The Sequoia Trees, on average, are three metres in diameter, and the largest Sequoia in the world is twelve metres in diameter! We walked slowly for about an hour, stopping to see these amazing works of God, and admiring them. After that we went back, still stopping frequently to see them. After a while, we arrived back at our car, and we had lunch. After lunch, we went back to the lodge, with nothing else really to do, (with the National Park being shut) we spent the rest of the afternoon out on the lake stand up paddle boarding, paddle boating, canoeing, and also net fishing, where you put the fish back in the water, once you’ve caught them, because they are too small. After that, we had a nice hot spa, and had dinner.

September 30^th

Today, we went to see the largest species of trees on earth, and have a fun day doing activities at the camp. We woke up at seven-thirty to have the great, camp style breakfast. After we had a filling breakfast, we brushed our teeth, and exited our room, to go on a walk around the small lake near the lodge. After the peaceful walk, we went to the archery range, where the instructor greeted us. He taught us the safety precautions of archery, and taught us how to fire an arrow. After a solid hour of fun, but tiring archery shooting, we went down to the lake, to go on stand up paddle boards on the lake. After a few minutes of doing that, we went inside for lunch. After that, we decided to go on a guided tour. The same instructor met us at the lodge, to get ready to go on the walk. It was a quick drive to the trailhead, where we met him again. On the walk, the instructor told us all about the plants, and their properties, and how the Native Americans used them, and how they gathered them One example is the Elderberry, which can be used to make wine, and can be eaten for a quick nutritious meals. The trail lead us to a peak, where you get an all round view of the mountains! It was amazing seeing a landscape totally different form Australia, and the amazing, giant Sequoia trees. After we walked all the way back, we drove to an example of Native American art. The instructor lead us through a series of spiky plants, until we arrived at an untouched boulder showing Native American art, possibly one thousand years old. After that we went to the largest grove of Sequoia trees in the world! It was amazing to see these gigantic trees up close, and in comparison to our sizes. After this, we went back to the lodge, where we did a bit more stuff on the lake, before having a hot spa, and having a great dinner. After that we had campfire, where we made s’mores! S’mores is an American invented food, where you cook a marshmallow over an open fire, and squish it between two biscuit pieces with chocolate inside. After this, we went to bed.

September 29^th

Today, we had a driving day, driving from Los Angeles, to the mountains of California, which are higher than Mount Kosciusko. We had an easy, relaxed morning, waking up at seven-thirty or so, to get ready for the day ahead of us. We had the buffet breakfast, after we had gotten dressed, and once we had done that, we brushed our teeth, and got our bags packed. After a few minutes of hast packing, we packed ourselves in our giant of a rental car, and drove off into the crazy highways of Los Angeles. The trip was reasonably uneventful. We stopped a few times for a few brief rest breaks. The drive was six hours long, until we arrived at the amazing mountains of California. The first glimpse of the mountains was breath taking! It was a totally different landscape from Los Angeles. Los Angeles has a dry, desert landscape, whereas the mountains have beautiful peaks, and giant trees called Sequoias, which are the largest trees in the world! The road to the lodge was very, a very treacherous, with no railing, and a very steep cliff on the side of the road. We made it without to many problems, apart from Elliott getting altitude sickness in the car. The lodge’s surroundings were fantastic. A beautiful, green, pine forest, with a beautiful cool lake, surrounded us with the lodge on its coast. We got checked in with all our bags, and we dragged them all the way up the stairs. We were also told to take all food out of our car, otherwise it would attract Black Bears, or Mountain Lions that roamed the mountains. After that we had a nice relaxing, evening.

September 28^th

Today was much the same as yesterday, going to both Disney California Adventure Land, and Disney Land. We got up earlier than yesterday to get ahead of the weekend crowds that would be present a both parks. We got dressed, and had breakfast, down in the lobby. After that, we got our teeth brushed, and we caught the Anaheim bus to Disney Land, and Disney California Adventure Land. First, we went to Disney California Adventure Land, where we planned to do all the rides that we had not participated in yet. We went into ‘a bugs land,’ The Hollywood Tower, Mike and Sulley Rescue, and whole variety of fun rides. One of my favourite rides was The Hollywood Tower, which is like the Tower of Terror where, you go up and down, and you also get a great view of both the Disney Parks. At around one in the afternoon, we ventured over to Disney Land. With Disney Land we also attempted to complete all the rides that we had not participated in yet. We went on many rides, like the Mattahorn, (a turbulent, high speed, roller coaster, circumnavigating a man-made mountain), The Indiana Jones Adventure (Temple of the Forbidden Eye), and many other great rides. My favourite today, was probably The Indiana Jones Adventure, where you were taken through an off road adventure, and were taken through a course of traps, and fiery spectacles. At nine twenty-five, we went to Disney Main Street where we should have gotten a good view of the fireworks display. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the fireworks were not set off for a number of minutes. We decided to head back to base, when the fireworks had not gone of for fifteen minutes. We waited at the bus terminal until the small bus arrived to pick up its ‘Disneyed Out’ passengers. After a few minutes, we arrived at Staybridge Suites, where we got off, went to our hotel room, and went to sleep almost immediately.

September 27^th

Today, we went to Disney Land, and Disney California Adventure Land. We woke up at sevn, to get ready for a Disney packed day ahead of us. We quickly got dressed, and got downstairs quickly to have the buffet breakfast. After that, we went back upstairs to brush our teeth, and pack our bags. Once we had finished these hasty preparations, we went outside to catch the bus, which would take us to these two Disney Parks. After about twenty minutes, the bus arrived, and we hopped in, all revved to go. We arrived soon enough, to find ourselves in a massive car park, and the view of both parks. We slowly got our tickets, and head off into to Disney Land first. We got our tickets checked, and we were in. Disney Land denied my early, sceptical expectations, and proved to be a real, really well kept, and not just made for tourists at all. The rides were great; we went on Space Mountain, (an inside roller coaster) Star Tours, and a lot of other great fun rides. After we had lunch, after a really great water ride, we went over to Disney California Adventure Park. Once we had gotten our tickets checked, we were in. Disney California Adventure Park was really similar to Disney Land, except with different rides. We went on rides like the roller coaster, (that was absolute madness), and lots of other great fun rides. At nine, a special display started called ‘A World of Colour’ at Paradise Pier, on the water. Water was shot up into the air, and images were projected onto the water. Unfortunately, we had not gotten good spots before, and could only see the very tops of the water display. We decided to leave early instead. We went home via bus, and went back to our hotel room, where we could sleep.

September 26^th

Today, we planned to go to the Western side of the US of A via plane. We got up early at six to get ready for the five-hour flight. Once we had gotten our bags packed, we went downstairs to have the buffet breakfast. After that, we got our bags, and went downstairs to catch the shuttle, which would drive us to the airport. Once we got to the airport, we checked in our luggage and got through security. Once we did this, we went in an inside, computer controlled train, which took us to another terminal. After a bit of waiting, it was tome to board the plane. Once we had took our seats in the plane, we had lift off. The plane trip mainly consisted of reading, listening to the radio, and similar stuff like that. After five long hours, we arrived at LAX, Los Angeles Airport. We collected our entire checked-in luggage, and caught a shuttle to our hotel in Anaheim. It took forty to fifty minutes to drive there. Once we did this, we got checked in, and had a nice relaxing evening, getting used to the time difference.

September 25^th

Today, we planned to see the famous Georgetown University, the Lincoln Memorial, and The International Spy Museum. We got up at around seven to get ready to see these famous sights. After we got dressed, we went down to the buffet breakfast, where we had some unique food to America, like waffles, and bagels. After we had this cultural breakfast, we brushed our teeth, packed our backpacks, exited our hotel room, and caught a shuttle to the Metro Station, where we would ride to Foggy Bottom, where Georgetown University was located. We walked through the old part of Washington where cobblestone streets were laid, and very old brick buildings were alongside the road. After walking through this for a bit, we arrived at Georgetown University. The buildings were amazing with the University even having a castle! We learnt that the university could be the oldest in all the United States, with George Washington (the first president) established it! We saw a giant NFL field where all the college students play too! After that we walked all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, where there was a faintly Roman style building listing all the original States of America, and inside lay the gigantic, famous, statue of Abraham Lincoln! We observed the detail of this amazing lifelike statue, and read his famous speech to free the slaves in America. We also saw a few words inscribed on the ground saying that place was where Martin Luther King Junior made his famous speech to give African Americans more rights and freedom. After that, we walked over to the Washington monument, a giant obelisk, which was being repaired from the Washington Earthquake last year. Once we saw this towering monument, we ventured over to the International Spy Museum. We got our tickets and went into the cool looking elevator, which led to the Spy Museum. We entered the Museum to find ourselves surrounded by real Spy listening devices, weapons, and stories. It was just like the movies! We also saw a special exhibit with James Bond’s villains. (Of course.) After this, we went back to our hotel room and had a nice relaxing evening.

September 24^th

Today, we planned to see some of Washington D.C’s most famous monuments and locations, like The White House, and the Capitol Building. We woke up at around seven, ready to tackle the day ahead of us. We got dressed, and then went downstairs to have the buffet breakfast in the lobby. After we had that, we went back up to our hotel room, and brushed our teeth. Once we had done that, we caught the shuttle to the Metro station, and caught the metro into the city. When we arrived we immediately spotted the large, and extremely impressive, Capitol Building. The architecture was amazing, and the patriotism of the Americans. After about thirty minutes of admiring the sights of the amazing Capitol Building, we went to one section of the many parts of the largest museum in the world, The Smithsonian Museum. We went to the Air and Space Museum, where famous space rockets, and planes, and all types of things to do with the air were located. The Air and Space Museum was amazing, it even contained the Apollo Eleven command module, the landing module, and event the first plane, the Wright Brother’s famous plane made out of just wood, and canvas! Once we had seen all these amazing exhibits, we ventured over to The Smithsonian Natural History Museum, take a quick glimpse at the interactive butterfly section. Luckily, free tickets are available on Tuesdays so we gained free access to the butterfly exhibit. After we had waited about fifteen minutes in the line up, we were allowed in the butterfly exhibit. The second we walked, in a very large butterfly attached to Dad’s shorts, and would not get off until we left the butterfly exhibit. The largeness and colours of the butterflies was amazing, with butterflies of every colours, and facts of the butterflies environment. After we had exited this exhibit, we traversed over to The White House. The spectre of this famous international monument was amazing to see, with the pristine gardens, and the amazing architectural value, and size of the White House. The White House had very, very high security, and we spotted numerous security cameras, and even an anti-landing missile on the roof of The White House! After that, we caught the Metro back to our hotel, and spent a nice relaxing night there.

September 23^rd

Today, we planned to drive from Chatham, New Jersey, to Washington, District of Columbia. We had an early wake-up call, getting up at around six thirty, ready to tackle the three-hour driving day ahead of us. We had a very hasty pack-up and breakfast, before we had to say goodbye to our cousins. It was a bit sad knowing that we would not see the, for a year or so. After that, we got going in our large, rented, family car. The drive was reasonably straight, I read, Abbey played my iPhone, Hamilton and Elliott did whatever, Mum directed Dad, was driving via the laptop. We took a few rest breaks on the way, but not to many. We arrived in Washington at around five at night. Washington was very beautiful and green, but before long, we arrived at our hotel. After that we had a relaxed evening going to a famous cemetery, and relaxing in our apartment.